Kleinfelder was the prime consultant for the design of the Borden Road Bridge—a 200-foot-long roadway bridge crossing San Marcos Creek. The City of San Marcos sought a new bridge to meet its traffic circulation plan by improving connectivity for motorists and pedestrians, reducing flooding, and improving emergency access.
Located in a culturally and environmentally rich area, the bridge upgrade involved several challenges. It needed to connect two busy neighborhoods, ease congestion on adjacent roadways, allow for better emergency service access, and enable safer pedestrian and equestrian crossing—all while minimizing right-of-way impacts. In addition, design and construction planning required close attention to seasonal impacts to reduce construction risks during an unpredictable flood season, while maintaining negligible upstream effect on the area’s biological habitats.
Kleinfelder’s team designed a two-span bridge configuration so that a 100-year flood event would not adversely affect the passageway. Precast, prestressed concreted girders were used for the superstructure in order to reduce the risk of winter construction and annual flooding. Kleinfelder minimized right-of-way impacts by adjusting roadway alignment, installing sound barriers and retaining walls, and creating designated walkways for safe pedestrian and equestrian crossing. A biological survey identified necessary mitigation procedures, providing clear strategies for conserving the nearby wetlands.
Kleinfelder’s bridge design not only minimized community impacts, but also ensured safer construction and reduced seasonal risks, while driving on-time, on-budget delivery. One of the critical project management success factors was Kleinfelder’s coordinated communication between design and construction teams, contractors, and city staff, which enabled sound decision-making throughout.
Location:
San Marcos, California
Owner:
City of San Marcos
